"Thank you for your interest in our ________ position but...." We've all been there. The canned reply that screams REJECTION.

The truth is, in this digital age, we're exposed to way more rejection than ever before. Employers have made it easier and easier to apply, thus increasing the number of applicants... ultimately increasing the number of people who inevitably will be “rejected.”

When experienced, it’s important to understand what the rejection really means. Many times, it's not about you or your experience; instead, it's about how you present yourself and your experience. Other times, it's not about you at all - ex: the company went with an internal hire, the company decided not to hire for the position after all, etc. 

For now, we'll focus on the things you can control. When you experience rejection, ask yourself the following questions:

Was my resume tailored to the position?

The days of creating a one-size-fits-all resume and hoping it lands you the job are over. In today's digital age, there are many qualified candidates with access to apply to the same positions as you. This means that you need to tailor your resume to put your best foot forward and position yourself as the number one choice for the position.

Did I include quantitative achievements relevant to the position?

Your resume is not intended to be a laundry list of your job duties. Employers don't really care about what you were assigned to do; they care about how you actually did! They want to know what results you brought previous employers to help them make an educated guess about how you will perform the duties they are looking to assign.

Were my technical skills that align with the position highly visible?

Don't make the employer guess what technology you've mastered. Make it plain. These specialized skills can be demonstrated through education and are typically evaluated via assessments. In the workplace, technical skills allow you to use specific tools and programs to complete the job. Since technology varies from industry to industry and role to role, you’ll want to check the job requirements to ensure you’re highlighting the skills they’re seeking. Ex: data mining, Microsoft Excel, JIRA, project management, programming languages

Did I leverage any potential referrals?

Referrals will always reign supreme. Hiring is essentially making an educated guess about the results a new potential employee will bring. Employers are always more likely to take a chance on someone who has been referred by a current employee they trust. When thinking about referrals, it doesn't always have to be someone super close to you. People who know of you are often willing to recommend you as well.

Does my LinkedIn demonstrate my experience in a way that makes it clear I can do the job well?

LinkedIn is the key to the "passive job search.” LinkedIn should actively attract recruiters while you work, sleep or do any other activity that does not involve filling out applications. Your LinkedIn must be set up in a way that makes it easy for recruiters to find you and believe that you are the candidate who will get the job done.

Next Steps

If you've recently received a rejection of a recent application, ask yourself the questions above to identify if one of those reasons may have caused your rejection. If so, adjust the needed item before continuing your job search.